Your Right to Know

Unable to keep up its mowing schedule this spring, Upper Arlington is now converting portions of
its larger parks to woodland.

“It’s a designed move toward reforestation,” Tim Moloney, parks and recreation director, told
the city council this week.

The city recently lost the equivalent of almost three full-time parks maintenance workers
through retirement, leaving just two employees and a private contractor to handle the city’s 19
parks.

But the contractor hasn’t mowed some of the areas it was assigned and has been late on others. “
I’m extremely frustrated with our contract mower’s inability to deliver on specified terms and
conditions,” said Moloney.

The Brickman Group recently has been responsive, but the city hasn’t ruled out penalties or
withholding payment, said Moloney. The company is paid about $18,000 annually for the work.

The decision affects about 5 percent of Fancyburg, Northwest Kiwanis, Thompson and Reed Road
parks. In most cases, the department is expanding woodlands rather than creating new pockets of
growth.

A wet spring is causing cities — and homeowners — to mow more often. Upper Arlington parklands
are typically mowed weekly. But when rain washes out a day, scheduling can spiral out of
control.

“It’s truly like herding cats,” Moloney said.

And the contractor problems aren’t helping.

“For many years, our contractors have struggled to keep up in the early mowing season,” said
Moloney. “This year, we’re getting more areas missed and mowed late.”

Brickman’s local representative did not return calls for comment.

Park visitors have mixed feelings about the new approach.

“People don’t want to walk in tall weeds like this,” Ashley Nichole Sewards said while walking a
friend’s dog in Thompson Park. “It gets people thinking, ‘I can go out and get bitten by ticks and
get sick.’ ”

Sewards lives near Morse Road but often visits Upper Arlington parks.

“It’s a wealthy area. I would think more people might donate or give what they can. It’s their
parks.”

At least one nearby resident has offered to mow the grass for the city.“We are concerned about
the lack of mowing across the street,” Kelly Eldred emailed the city. “When will this be mowed? Do
you need us to mow?”

The city is leery of such offers.

“I’m not trying to steer people from volunteering or doing things for the parks,” said Moloney. “
But we would not want to put somebody in our parks that would create a liability question for the
city.”

But Amy Hehr, an outdoors enthusiast who lives several streets south of Thompson Park, doesn’t
mind the natural look.

“I think that’s great,” she said. “And if it saves money, then it’s a benefit to everybody.”